Letters to the Editor: July 15, 2022

Remaining engaged

I was surprised to learn in Friday’s Viewpoints article by Ellis Conklin that I have bid a “bitter farewell to foray into Oregon politics.”

It’s true that I’m not running for office, and that I expect to return to writing, but I continue to engage in Oregon politics daily on social media, in my writings, in the book I’m working on, and in my interactions with people.

And I’m not bitter at anything: I enjoyed running for office and am very grateful to supporters and to almost everyone I encountered in the campaign. What a privilege it was!

Oregon faces enormous challenges — no one can walk through downtown Portland and think it’s a model of good governance — and we all have to figure out how to work together to address them. I’ll continue to do so.

No farewells or bitterness needed.

Nicholas Kristof

Yamhill

Assault on common sense

Now that the brain trust of our U.S. Senate is making the rounds congratulating itself on the “historic” gun safety legislation it just passed, I wonder what its members are making of the latest mass shooting.

I wonder how they squeezed around the elephant on the Senate floor as they shook hands and congratulated each other on a job well done.

I wonder what they whispered back to the National Rifle Association as they extended their greedy palms for more campaign cash in return for yet again succeeding in avoiding the real issue.

I have been a soldier and a police officer and a hunter. I have owned guns my entire life. The only time I have ever needed an assault weapon was in the Highlands of Vietnam.

Retired Sheriff Lee Vasquez

McMinnville 

Tab comes due

Because of their pigheadedness, Mary Starrett and Lindsay Berschauer continue adding to the taxpayers’ burden at the county. Last time it was $1 million, this time a minimum of $14,000.

It was obvious at the outset that Yamhill County’s gun ordinance violated the state constitution. It’s time for them to own up and pay for this new expense out of their own pockets.

Tim Cross

McMinnville

Generous service

I owe a thank you to Todd Caster and the McMinnville Lions Club for their assistance in providing some medical equipment for my mother.

Todd graciously took the time to meet with me and make sure I received the perfect walker for her from the Lions inventory. And she absolutely loves it!

Thank you, Lions Club, for your generous service to our community!

Terry Conlon

McMinnville

Fireworks hell

Another celebration of the birth of our nation has come and gone. Instead of feeling patriotic and blessed, I instead feel very tired and frustrated, after three nights of very little sleep due to the loud percussion of fireworks until all hours of the morning.

Whatever happened to many types of fireworks being illegal, especially rockets? Or to worries about fire danger after our prolonged drought?

I’m as much into celebrating with family and friends as the next person, but this was overkill. I even had to patrol my yard to keep revelers and lit fireworks off my lawn.

Perhaps the city should consider banning all fireworks and then enforce that ban.

Linda Haines

McMinnville